


Growing Things

by thephilosophersapprentice



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Post-Calamity Ganon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29024496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thephilosophersapprentice/pseuds/thephilosophersapprentice
Summary: Even after the calamity, Wild's Hyrule is growing and living in a way Twilight almost envies.
Relationships: Twilight & Wild (Linked Universe)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 73





	Growing Things

“There’s something about your Hyrule,” Twilight said softly as they sat outside the stable. The others had all gone to bed, grateful that, for once, someone outside their party would be keeping watch. However, neither Twilight nor Wild felt ready to sleep just yet, so they sat outside under the stars for a while in preparation to turn in.

Wild hummed softly, inclining his head toward Twilight to indicate he was listening. “It seems strange to me,” Twilight continued. “Your Hyrule was devastated a century ago, and certainly there’s ruins and broken rafters and old abandoned wains[1]. And yet—” He gestured to the stable’s yard, which, while quieter for the night, had never completely lost its bustle. No matter how late travelers arrived, there were hosts and hands to put up their horses and welcome them inside. “It’s so full of life. My Hyrule doesn’t have anything like these stables, for instance. There are inns, but those are more rowdy… there are stables, but they’re run as businesses. They’re far from being this cosy. It seems like everyone here is close. Reminds me of home, actually.”

Wild shifted stance, obviously curious. Twilight laughed. “Yeah. I grew up in a tiny farming community—just short of fifty people—really far south. South of the Faron region, even. Everyone knew everyone else. I was pretty much raised by the community as a whole, since I had no surviving family. It was always welcoming, like this. Castle Town—people were still welcoming, but you could tell they also had to make a living. I guess that’s what happens when the community isn’t completely self-sufficient and can’t run on a barter system any more.” Twilight shifted on the hay bale they were currently seated on. “But that’s beside the point. In my Hyrule, there are ruins too—a whole village standing empty, left to the cats and the dust. And the ‘blins. It feels like there, those old ruins will never recover. Here, everything’s alive and growing.” Twilight sighed. “Even in the dust.”

Even with the company, Twilight was not used to talking this much. None of them really found speaking easy, though for some it was easier than others. Wind, for example, could chatter for days about currents and trades. What “trades” were, Twilight wasn’t quite sure, but he had an inkling they had nothing to do with commerce.

“Maybe my Hyrule is just more restrictive,” Twilight said at last. “Yours is much more free to grow.” He fell silent, lost in thought. Abandoned temples. Catacombs under Castle Town. A beautiful throne room, sculptures fallen into ruin, and a princess in an invisible straitjacket.

Maybe the loss of all the pomp and circumstance, the centuries-old traditions—stiff, unbending, a prison of words and expectations—was what the world had needed. Except that so many lives had been lost along with the kingdom. Still, here there was beauty in the desolation.

There was no beauty in the abandoned places of Twilight’s Hyrule. Or—as with the Temple of Time—there was beauty, certainly—but a beauty long since lost. Cracked and crumbled and surrendered to nature, the building as it was but a memory sustained on its own secret. There were no people left to dwell within the secret forest except for that lone skullkid.

 _There’s something you want to do, isn’t there?_ Wild signed.

At his core, Twilight was and always would be a farmer. He believed in growing things—a faith more humble than the worship of the Golden Goddesses and the Patroness, but infinitely more tangible to the senses.

“It would be nice to rebuild,” Twilight said thoughtfully. “Or at least, if there’s no way to rebuild, to let those places go back to the wild with dignity. Lay the ghosts to rest. Maybe Zelda can break free of the cycle, too… maybe if I’m visible about my support, her hands won’t be so tied. Speaking of ghosts…” He shifted slightly. “How are you dealing with the poes? After something like the Calamity, there must be so many unquiet spirits, and I can’t effectively land any hits on them unless I’m in my other shape.”

 _Poes. Those are… hostile ghosts, correct?_ Wild asked. Twilight nodded. _I don’t think there are any here._

Twilight jolted upright. “What?! How is that possible? There should be _many_. Hundreds.”

 _I’ve never heard of any ghosts attacking travelers or people in settlements,_ Wild signed. _And I’ve been all over Hyrule. I should’ve heard about it by now, if it was happening._ He paused to think. _Maybe it’s_ because of _the Calamity._

“How so?”

_All the undead I’ve come across were stals. Mostly stalkoblins, stalmoblins and stalizalfos. I’ve never seen a stal of a Hylian. Maybe the Calamity was consuming the unquiet souls and that was how it maintained its power._

“It’s possible,” Twilight said. “Now that it’s gone, though… I just think you should be cautious.”

 _Duly noted._ They lapsed into silence for a while.

 _Your Zelda_ , Wild signed. _What’s her second name?_

“Eluciveria.”

Wild nodded slowly. _I’ll keep an eye out for her in any records. Maybe I’ll read more about you in the archives! What’s left of them, anyway._

“That probably bothers your Zelda quite a bit,” Twilight observed. “Maybe you’ll be able to help with that.”

Wild nodded pensively. _Her second name is Lilianya, by the way._

Twilight smiled. “Thanks.” He stared at the horizon, still faintly bright despite the fact that the sun had set more than an hour ago. “We should probably get to bed.”

[1] An old word for a wagon, usually used for conveying goods to market.

**Author's Note:**

> That thing about second names is my headcanon. Each version of Zelda (except Zelda in Skyward Sword, since she was the first) has a second name to differentiate her from all the others and they're always referred to as such in the history books--"Zelda Eluciveria," "Zelda Lilianya," or the late Queen in Breath of the Wild--"Zelda Amata." Yes, those second names have a metatextual significance. "Eluciveria" incorporates "lux," the same root as "Lucy," meaning "light" in Latin. Liliacaeae, the lily family, seems like a good bet for the taxonomical home of the Silent Princess, while "Amata" is a Latin adjective meaning "loving."
> 
> Also yes, while Twilight might not have feelings for his Zelda, they are friends and you can take that from my cold, dead hands.


End file.
